Nawaz Sharif sentenced to 10 years, Maryam Nawaz sentenced to 7 years imprisonment in Avenfield case

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ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will once again take up the pleas filed by members of the Sharif family against their convictions in the Avenfield reference as well as former premier Nawaz's petition to transfer the Al-Azizia and Flagship references to another court.

During the last hearing, Nawaz’s counsel Khawaja Haris had pleaded to shift the trial of the remaining corruption references to another court.

Haris had argued that Accountability Court-I Judge Muhammad Bashir has already disclosed his mind by punishing his client in the Avenfield reference.

On the court’s query, Nawaz’s counsel had also stated that the investigation officers in all three references are different whereas the witnesses and their defence is common.

After hearing Nawaz's petition to transfer the two remaining references to another court, the two-member bench will take up the Sharif family's pleas against their convictions in the Avenfield reference.

On July 6, an accountability court had sentenced Nawaz to a total of 11 years in prison and slapped a £8 million fine (Rs1.3 billion) in the corruption reference, while his daughter Maryam was sentenced to eight years with a £2 million fine (Rs335 million). Nawaz's son-in-law Capt (retd) Safdar was also given a one-year sentence without any fine.

The Sharifs had challenged their convictions in the IHC, highlighting the legal flaws in the Avenfield judgement and asking for the accountability court's verdict to be declared null and void and the three convicts to be released on bail.

An additional appeal was also filed requesting the court to transfer the Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment references against Nawaz from the court of Accountability Judge-I Mohammad Bashir to another accountability court.

RAWALPINDI: Former prime minister and supreme leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) Nawaz Sharif has sent a message to his party leaders and workers from Adiala jail, asking them to continue protest against alleged rigging in the July 25 elections.

According to PML-N leaders who met Mr Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law retired Capt Muhammad Safdar in the jail on Thursday, the former PM has also asked them to make a joint strategy with other opposition parties.

A number of PML-N leaders and family members met the incarcerated leaders of the PML-N in jail. Prison authorities arranged the meeting in a conference hall adjacent to the jail superintendent’s office.

Talking to reporters outside the jail later, they said Mr Sharif was of the opinion that people’s mandate had been stolen in the elections.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD

PML-N leaders, family members meet incarcerated Sharifs

Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed said the morale of Mr Sharif and Ms Maryam was high. He said they both wanted the PML-N leaders and workers to continue protest against alleged rigging in the elections.

A senior PML-N leader later told Dawn that the party leaders briefed Mr Sharif on their talks with other opposition parties in their recent meetings. They also got former PM’s approval for the opposition parties’ expected nominees for the election of prime minister, speaker and deputy speaker in the National Assembly.

He said PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif informed the former PM about the party’s efforts for the formation of its government in Punjab.

The request of a number of other PML-N leaders and workers to meet the former PM was rejected by the jail authorities after which charged workers confronted security personnel outside the jail.

The jail authorities banned the entry of media DSNGs on the outer side of the jail which sparked unrest among media personnel.

Some female workers of the PML-N staged a demonstration outside the jail and demanded release of Ms Maryam.

The family members and relative who met the Sharifs in the jail included PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif, Mian Yousuf Abbas and Mian Aziz Abbas (nephews of Nawaz Sharif), Junaid Safdar (son of Maryam Nawaz), Sajjad Ahmed and Dr Waqar Awan (brothers of Mr Safdar) and Col Zafar (cousin of Mr Safdar).

RAWALPINDI: Former prime minister and supreme leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) Nawaz Sharif has sent a message to his party leaders and workers from Adiala jail, asking them to continue protest against alleged rigging in the July 25 elections.

According to PML-N leaders who met Mr Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and son-in-law retired Capt Muhammad Safdar in the jail on Thursday, the former PM has also asked them to make a joint strategy with other opposition parties.

A number of PML-N leaders and family members met the incarcerated leaders of the PML-N in jail. Prison authorities arranged the meeting in a conference hall adjacent to the jail superintendent’s office.

Talking to reporters outside the jail later, they said Mr Sharif was of the opinion that people’s mandate had been stolen in the elections.

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER AD

PML-N leaders, family members meet incarcerated Sharifs

Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed said the morale of Mr Sharif and Ms Maryam was high. He said they both wanted the PML-N leaders and workers to continue protest against alleged rigging in the elections.

A senior PML-N leader later told Dawn that the party leaders briefed Mr Sharif on their talks with other opposition parties in their recent meetings. They also got former PM’s approval for the opposition parties’ expected nominees for the election of prime minister, speaker and deputy speaker in the National Assembly.

He said PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif informed the former PM about the party’s efforts for the formation of its government in Punjab.

The request of a number of other PML-N leaders and workers to meet the former PM was rejected by the jail authorities after which charged workers confronted security personnel outside the jail.

The jail authorities banned the entry of media DSNGs on the outer side of the jail which sparked unrest among media personnel.

Some female workers of the PML-N staged a demonstration outside the jail and demanded release of Ms Maryam.

The family members and relative who met the Sharifs in the jail included PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif, Mian Yousuf Abbas and Mian Aziz Abbas (nephews of Nawaz Sharif), Junaid Safdar (son of Maryam Nawaz), Sajjad Ahmed and Dr Waqar Awan (brothers of Mr Safdar) and Col Zafar (cousin of Mr Safdar).

LAHORE: The chief justice of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday constituted a full bench to hear a petition seeking annulment of the punishment handed to the Sharif family in the Avenfield properties corruption reference.

On July 6, an accountability court had sentenced former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to a total of 11 years in prison and imposed a £8 million fine (Rs1.3 billion) on him in the Avenfield corruption reference. His daughter Maryam was sentenced to eight years in prison with a £2 million fine (Rs335 million), while her husband Capt (retd) Safdar was given a one-year sentence without any fine.

The convictions, delivered under the National Accountability Ordinance 1999, were challenged in the LHC by senior lawyer A.K. Dogar, who contended that the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) law is no more valid after the implementation of 18th amendment.

The three-time prime minister was sentenced under this ‘dead law’ which is illegal, Dogar argued in the petition, and requested to nullify the sentences of Nawaz, Maryam and Safdar.

IHC to resume hearing Nawaz’s case transfer plea today

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will resume hearing on Tuesday the plea of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to transfer the remaining corruption references against him to another court.

Nawaz’s legal counsel had filed an appeal requesting the court to transfer the Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment references from the court of Accountability Judge-I Mohammad Bashir to another accountability court.

The Sharif family had also petitioned against their convictions in the Avenfield reference.

IHC had clubbed the two references, which will be heard by a two-member bench comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb.

During Monday’s proceedings, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi argued that case transfer was not possible post-indictment. Judge Bashir had been hearing the defence's arguments in Al-Azizia and Flagship references for 10 months, the NAB prosecutor contended.

Justice Aurangzeb observed that the evidence was interlinked in all three corruption references. "How can these interrelated facts be separated? This case is not ordinary in nature. It cannot be compared to the cases we hear on a daily basis," he noted.

The NAB prosecutor then pointed out that the defence had not petitioned in the Supreme Court against rejection of the plea to club all three references. Once the accused is indicted then the reference cannot be transferred, he said.

On July 6, an accountability court had sentenced Nawaz to a total of 11 years in prison and slapped a £8 million fine (Rs1.3 billion) in the corruption reference, while his daughter Maryam was sentenced to eight years with a £2 million fine (Rs335 million). Nawaz's son-in-law Capt (retd) Safdar was also given a one-year sentence without any fine.

The Sharifs had challenged their convictions in the IHC, highlighting the legal flaws in the Avenfield judgement and asking for the accountability court's verdict to be declared null and void and the three convicts to be released on bail.

The trial

The trial against the Sharif family commenced on September 14, 2017.

On July 6, after four extensions in the original six-month deadline to conclude all three cases, the court announced its verdict in the Avenfield reference.

Nawaz and his sons, Hussain and Hasan, are accused in all three references whereas Maryam and Safdar were accused in the Avenfield reference only.

The two brothers, based abroad, have been absconding since the proceedings began last year and were declared proclaimed offenders by the court.

On July 10, the Supreme Court granted another six-week extension for Accountability Court-I Judge Mohammad Bashir to conclude the remaining corruption references against Nawaz and former finance minister Ishaq Dar.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) will resume hearing on Tuesday the plea of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif to transfer the remaining corruption references against him to another court.

Nawaz’s legal counsel had filed an appeal requesting the court to transfer the Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment references from the court of Accountability Judge-I Mohammad Bashir to another accountability court.

The Sharif family had also petitioned against their convictions in the Avenfield reference.

IHC had clubbed the two references, which will be heard by a two-member bench comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb.

During Monday’s proceedings, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) prosecutor Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi argued that case transfer was not possible post-indictment. Judge Bashir had been hearing the defence's arguments in Al-Azizia and Flagship references for 10 months, the NAB prosecutor contended.

Justice Aurangzeb observed that the evidence was interlinked in all three corruption references. "How can these interrelated facts be separated? This case is not ordinary in nature. It cannot be compared to the cases we hear on a daily basis," he noted.

The NAB prosecutor then pointed out that the defence had not petitioned in the Supreme Court against rejection of the plea to club all three references. Once the accused is indicted then the reference cannot be transferred, he said.

On July 6, an accountability court had sentenced Nawaz to a total of 11 years in prison and slapped a £8 million fine (Rs1.3 billion) in the corruption reference, while his daughter Maryam was sentenced to eight years with a £2 million fine (Rs335 million). Nawaz's son-in-law Capt (retd) Safdar was also given a one-year sentence without any fine.

The Sharifs had challenged their convictions in the IHC, highlighting the legal flaws in the Avenfield judgement and asking for the accountability court's verdict to be declared null and void and the three convicts to be released on bail.

The trial

The trial against the Sharif family commenced on September 14, 2017.

On July 6, after four extensions in the original six-month deadline to conclude all three cases, the court announced its verdict in the Avenfield reference.

Nawaz and his sons, Hussain and Hasan, are accused in all three references whereas Maryam and Safdar were accused in the Avenfield reference only.

The two brothers, based abroad, have been absconding since the proceedings began last year and were declared proclaimed offenders by the court.

On July 10, the Supreme Court granted another six-week extension for Accountability Court-I Judge Mohammad Bashir to conclude the remaining corruption references against Nawaz and former finance minister Ishaq Dar.

@Mian
What’s the practical implications of this decision and where does it leave the SC decision?

Judge Bashir after so much pressure from media, sharif family etc is no more hearing the case but the verdict in one ref by him will stay as it is although the rest of the 2 refs will be merged and heard together by another bench of 2 judges. From what i heard they are going to hear it from the point where Judge bashir left instead of starting from 0.

Judge Bashir after so much pressure from media, sharif family etc is no more hearing the case but the verdict in one ref by him will stay as it is although the rest of the 2 refs will be merged and heard together by another bench of 2 judges. From what i heard they are going to hear it from the point where Judge bashir left instead of starting from 0.

But practically how would the new judges know what had gone on before? This makes little sense.

Accountability court summons Nawaz on Monday in pending references

ISLAMABAD: Accountability Court II on Thursday summoned deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday in two pending corruption references against him and his family.

The order came as Judge Arshad Malik heard the Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment references.

Judge Malik also directed the prosecution to present Panamagate Joint Investigation Team (JIT) head and prosecution's star witness Wajid Zia for the hearing on August 13.

As the hearing went under way, Judge Malik questioned National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi regarding the progress in investigations into the two remaining corruption references.

The NAB prosecutor told the accountability court judge, "After Wajid Zia, only one more witness's statements need to be recorded."

"There are three suspects in both the references. Investigation is ongoing against Nawaz while his sons, Hasan and Hussain, have already been declared absconders in the case," he further said.

The hearing was then adjourned till Monday.

On August 7, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) transferred the two references to Accountability Court II.

A two-member bench of the IHC, comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, ordered transfer of the cases on Nawaz's plea.

Nawaz’s legal counsel had filed an appeal requesting the court to transfer the Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment references from the court of Accountability Judge-I Mohammad Bashir to another accountability court.

On July 6, accountability court Judge Mohammad Bashir had announced the verdict in the Avenfield properties corruption reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), handing the ousted prime minister 10 years as jail time and seven years to his daughter Maryam Nawaz.

The trial

The trial against the Sharif family commenced on September 14, 2017.

On July 6, after four extensions in the original six-month deadline to conclude all three cases, the court announced its verdict in the Avenfield reference.

Nawaz and his sons, Hussain and Hasan, are accused in all three references whereas Maryam and Safdar were accused in the Avenfield reference only.

The two brothers, based abroad, have been absconding since the proceedings began last year and were declared proclaimed offenders by the court.

On July 10, the Supreme Court granted another six-week extension for Accountability Court-I Judge Mohammad Bashir to conclude the remaining corruption references against Nawaz and former finance minister Ishaq Dar.

IK should hold a one on one meeting with Nawaz and give him ultimatum that Nawaz and his daughter+son in law would be released from jail and sent on permanent exile from Pakistan if the entire Sharif clan hand over 95% of their looted wealth at home and abroad. They would also be restricted from participating in politics ever again.

Pakistan benefits more from having the Sharif's looted wealth in the treasury than having Nawaz in jail. If this plan pans out I can easily estimate that atleast 10+ billion that Nawaz and Shahbaz may have stolen would immediately be added to our foreign reserves and this would definitely help Pakistan.

IK should hold a one on one meeting with Nawaz and give him ultimatum that Nawaz and his daughter+son in law would be released from jail and sent on permanent exile from Pakistan if the entire Sharif clan hand over 95% of their looted wealth at home and abroad. They would also be restricted from participating in politics ever again.

Pakistan benefits more from having the Sharif's looted wealth in the treasury than having Nawaz in jail. If this plan pans out I can easily estimate that atleast 10+ billion that Nawaz and Shahbaz may have stolen would immediately be added to our foreign reserves and this would definitely help Pakistan.

At the moment we need money and lots of it.

I prefer the following plan...

Keep them in jail forever and sieze and bring back the Looted money.

In this day and age it’s much easier to trace money and of course assets (including properties).

In this day and age it’s much easier to trace money and of course assets (including properties).

There are forensic accountants who can do this for a fee

Do you think the foreign governments would be willing to just give back billions of dollars because the Pak government asked nicely? Immediate expulsion of billions from their economy would be a cause of concern for any country.

Do you think the foreign governments would be willing to just give back billions of dollars because the Pak government asked nicely? Immediate expulsion of billions from their economy would be a cause of concern for any country.

I think Pakistan need to word their requests in such a way, whilst ensuring full publicity is given to their words, that western governments are seen to be supporting/condoning money laundering by keeping it& not returning it to Pakistan. Shame them into it

Do you think the foreign governments would be willing to just give back billions of dollars because the Pak government asked nicely? Immediate expulsion of billions from their economy would be a cause of concern for any country.

There are laws set out for this, especially in the UK.
If the money is stolen from Pakistan coffers, I.e belonging to the people, there is no way the UK can withhold it.

Easiest option would be for the UK to sanction sale of properties at 20pct below market value.
The UK gains in terms of tax revenues from the sale, the UK property market benefits and Pakistan benefits. There is a deal to be had which keeps the crooks in jail.

There are laws set out for this, especially in the UK.
If the money is stolen from Pakistan coffers, I.e belonging to the people, there is no way the UK can withhold it.

Easiest option would be for the UK to sanction sale of properties at 20pct below market value.
The UK gains in terms of tax revenues from the sale, the UK property market benefits and Pakistan benefits. There is a deal to be had which keeps the crooks in jail.

There are also laws for not giving the citizenship to suspected criminals without due process. Yet not only Altaf got the passport but he continued to direct murders from London.

UK government isn't going to hand anything to Pakistan without trying to pocket it themselves first.

Trust me it’s so easy here.
They just need someone with a strong will to get it done.

I have worked in UK as a lawyer, Altaf should have been deported long ago if they follow the rules properly. You can't even get nationality if you do speeding, never mind the nonsense Altaf got upto back home!

Trust me it’s so easy here.
They just need someone with a strong will to get it done.

The UK govt now more than ever is open to any deals that will give it something..Brexit is about to turn this country into a basket case and any helping hand from somewhere will be looked upon favourably. They have their eyes on CPEC and some of the billions on offer if you lay your cards right. Imran has a good profile here and one visit can really turn things around in Pakistan Uk relations. Theresa May is an ex Oxford alumni who was introduced to her current husband by Benazir. i'm sure she knows Khan as well. He has contacts within the tory party..e.g. goldsmith and co..

I have worked in UK as a lawyer, Altaf should have been deported long ago if they follow the rules properly. You can't even get nationality if you do speeding, never mind the nonsense Altaf got upto back home!

he is an intelligence asset that has now outlived his usefulness. For nearly 30 years they used him to create such strife that our main city was crippled. It will take decades to recover. He has done his job.

Safdar, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, is serving a sentence in the Avenfield reference. However, owing to his deteriorating health he has been shifted to the federal capital’s public hospital.

According to jail authorities, after going under the knife for the compression of his liver he is in pain.

It is believed that the PML-N leader vomits anything that he eats or drinks, hence he has been shifted to hospital.

On July 29, Nawaz, who was jailed over graft charges, was also shifted to Pims after developing serious cardiac complications.

The disqualified prime minister and his daughter Maryam were arrested on July 13, minutes after they returned to the country seeking to revitalise their flagging party ahead of a July 25 national election.

he is an intelligence asset that has now outlived his usefulness. For nearly 30 years they used him to create such strife that our main city was crippled. It will take decades to recover. He has done his job.

To be honest all the people like Nawaz are assets for the West as well. Everyone knew Zardari got his wealth from corruption, all his UK estates yet noone had a problem.

Safdar, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, is serving a sentence in the Avenfield reference. However, owing to his deteriorating health he has been shifted to the federal capital’s public hospital.

According to jail authorities, after going under the knife for the compression of his liver he is in pain.

It is believed that the PML-N leader vomits anything that he eats or drinks, hence he has been shifted to hospital.

On July 29, Nawaz, who was jailed over graft charges, was also shifted to Pims after developing serious cardiac complications.

The disqualified prime minister and his daughter Maryam were arrested on July 13, minutes after they returned to the country seeking to revitalise their flagging party ahead of a July 25 national election.

Laws for money laundering were always in place, its just that now they are more specific. Zardari was called Mr 10% by Cameron himself, everyone knew his Surrey estate and the lot were thefts yet noone did anything about it.

Even as we speak the UK knows we have absconders sitting in their country and the flats in London are by theft, yet they have done nothing. The JIT report said there was absolutely zero cooperation from British authorities via official channels.

IK should hold a one on one meeting with Nawaz and give him ultimatum that Nawaz and his daughter+son in law would be released from jail and sent on permanent exile from Pakistan if the entire Sharif clan hand over 95% of their looted wealth at home and abroad. They would also be restricted from participating in politics ever again.

Pakistan benefits more from having the Sharif's looted wealth in the treasury than having Nawaz in jail. If this plan pans out I can easily estimate that atleast 10+ billion that Nawaz and Shahbaz may have stolen would immediately be added to our foreign reserves and this would definitely help Pakistan.

At the moment we need money and lots of it.

What tells you that these crooks can be trusted ?? Don't we know how they honoured the agreement they had signed with Musharaf , the noora kept refusing to hv signed any detail let alone honouring that deal. We have paid more than enough for Musharafs foolishness, we just can't afford a repeat of 90s..

Nawaz and his daughter are playing the wait game. They know they have setup pti for failure and within a year pakistanis will start cursing pti government like they did with ppp before noon and musharaf before ppp. After that guess who will emerge as heroic savior? Yes, yours truly. And the cycle repeats.

Pakistan doesn't have an institutional party, they all revolve around one or two personalities (families) and pti is the same. Once IK goes and pti capitulates then what happens? I'm optimistic but that's just how I see this drama unfold. Nawaz is not that stupid to go to jail he knows this will give him brownie points as the qoum loves convicts more.

Nawaz and his daughter are playing the wait game. They know they have setup pti for failure and within a year pakistanis will start cursing pti government like they did with ppp before noon and musharaf before ppp. After that guess who will emerge as heroic savior? Yes, yours truly. And the cycle repeats.

Pakistan doesn't have an institutional party, they all revolve around one or two personalities (families) and pti is the same. Once IK goes and pti capitulates then what happens? I'm optimistic but that's just how I see this drama unfold. Nawaz is not that stupid to go to jail he knows this will give him brownie points as the qoum loves convicts more.

They tried this trick in 2013 and it backfired badly they thought giving the province that is in worse condition will result in their favor and PTI future will end there but PTI came back with 2/3rd majority there and also in center and punjab based on performance there. I know federal government is a lot different but i am positive.

Nawaz and his daughter are playing the wait game. They know they have setup pti for failure and within a year pakistanis will start cursing pti government like they did with ppp before noon and musharaf before ppp. After that guess who will emerge as heroic savior? Yes, yours truly. And the cycle repeats.

Pakistan doesn't have an institutional party, they all revolve around one or two personalities (families) and pti is the same. Once IK goes and pti capitulates then what happens? I'm optimistic but that's just how I see this drama unfold. Nawaz is not that stupid to go to jail he knows this will give him brownie points as the qoum loves convicts more.

The wait game only works on gov. committing massive blunders, he played it in 2000 and would still be living in king fahads palace in saudi if Musharraf didnt sack the CJP, Mush's blunder gave him a second life otherwise he would have been finished.

Now his fate rests with PTI, if they deliver to punjab in the next 5 years, we can see the same sceneario what happened in KP, where pti went from 33 seats to 66, from one election to the other.

Looking at the way IK has focused his campaign on Punjab targeting the Sharifs for the last 10 years even when PPP was in power, it wont be suprising if the fedral gov. spends all its focus and sources in punjab to end the Sharif Dynasty once and for all.

If you want to destroy a country, just create enmity between its people and their army - Salahuddin

Nawaz and his daughter are playing the wait game. They know they have setup pti for failure and within a year pakistanis will start cursing pti government like they did with ppp before noon and musharaf before ppp. After that guess who will emerge as heroic savior? Yes, yours truly. And the cycle repeats.

Pakistan doesn't have an institutional party, they all revolve around one or two personalities (families) and pti is the same. Once IK goes and pti capitulates then what happens? I'm optimistic but that's just how I see this drama unfold. Nawaz is not that stupid to go to jail he knows this will give him brownie points as the qoum loves convicts more.

@Bold. People might curse PTI government but they will not be going anywhere until the military turns its back towards PTI and I don't see that happening in a year. No way they are bringing back PML N after 1 year.

Since past 5 years PMLN has made one poor decision after another. From letting PTI form the government in KPK to not going for reelection when Nawaz Sharif was ousted by the Supreme Court.

RAWALPINDI: Son-in-law of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, retired Capt Mohammad Safdar will remain in the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) the next two days. Doctors have conducted various medical tests but an initial report suggests he has high body fats.

Mohammad Safdar was moved to the hospital on Thursday due to a stomach problem.

He has been sentenced to a year in prison by an accountability court and is imprisoned in Adiala Jail along with Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz.

A medical board constituted for examining Mohammad Safdar received medical reports suggesting he has high body fats due to an improper diet.

Senior Pims doctors told Dawn that the reports say Safdar’s liver and kidneys are functioning normally and that his diabetes is also under control.

He said the patient had been complaining of constipation and stomach pain. The doctor added that his triglyceride level was found to be high. Triglycerides develop in the body when one consumes more fats than they burn.

He said the medical team had suggested 10 tests for Mohammad Safdar and that the majority of the tests had come back normal. His sugar level was abnormal at first and is now under control.

Pims Spokesperson Dr Waseem Khawaja said most of Mohammad Safdar’s reports were found to be normal and that his health is improving. He said the patient is out of danger and that a medical team consisting of senior doctors is observing his health.

“No decision has been made in regards to discharging him from the hospital as it depends on the suggestions of the medical team,” he said.

The Pims administration has constituted a five-member medical board for Mohammad Safdar which is headed by head of general surgery Prof Tanveer Khaliq and includes Dr Atif Inam Shami from surgery, Dr Mashood from gastroenterology, Dr Fibha Syed from general medicine and Dr Mujahid Raza from radiology.

Safdar had earlier undergone a gastric bypass which is a type of weight loss surgery, and was advised to take food as suggested by doctors.

After Safdar, PML-N leader and former MNA Hanif Abbasi also became ill and was taken to the jail hospital on Friday with complaints of chest pain.

The Control of Narcotics Substances Court had sentenced him to life imprisonment on July 22 in the Ephedrine quota case.

A senior Adiala jail officer told Dawn that the former MNA was complaining of problems in breathing and chest pain in the morning. Jail doctors had examined him and moved him into the jail hospital.

He said Abbasi was feeling better and that an ECG will be conducted after which it will be decided if he needs medical care outside the jail.

When contacted, Hanif Abbasi’s son, Hammas Abbasi, who met his father Friday morning, said the former MNA was a heart patient with two blocked arteries.

“He also has chronic pollen allergies and he is having trouble breathing in the recent weather,” he said, adding that the jail doctors had told him an ECG will be conducted soon.

ISLAMABAD .: Some elements in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) may be in favour of an “NRO-like deal” but former prime minister Nawaz Sharif is in no mood to mend fences with either the security establishment or the judiciary.

Although, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif denied the possibility of an NRO (National Reconciliation Ordinance) -like deal, he has not denied having been in “talks with power centres”.

Shehbaz, his son Hamza and leaders close to the former Punjab chief minister favoured relegating Sharif to the backstage in politics, background discussions with informed insiders in the PML-N suggest.

“The hostility with state institutions is not going to subside as long as Mian sahib keeps calling the shots,” said a PML-N senator, wishing not to be named, closely associated with the Shehbaz camp.

Shehbaz rules out NRO-type deal

“We have to wait for an ‘opportune time’ until tensions between our party and state institutions – such as the judiciary and the security establishment – are defused,” he said.

Meanwhile, members in the Nawaz camp see such reconciliatory moves by the Shehbaz group as an attempt to sideline the former PM at the expense of promoting his younger brother, Shehbaz.

“There are some powerful party members, especially in Punjab and even at the Centre, who think that Shehbaz can fill Mian sahib’s shoes if the latter goes backstage. This hardly seems to be happening. Shehbaz has so far failed to capture the party or boost PML-N’s vote bank. This is evident from our party’s defeat in the general election,” said a senior party leader, who also wished not to be named.

“Reconciliatory efforts are aimed at giving Shehbaz political space to secure PML-N’s reins but this is costing the party dearly. Reconciliatory strategy will further deplete and deteriorate our vote bank, weakening the party.”

Sources close to the former PM insisted that confrontation was the only option left for Sharif after he was disqualified in the Panamagate case.

“His political career has come to an abrupt end. Even if he [Sharif] agrees to strike a deal, leave jail and go abroad … This will only result in his political annihilation and humiliation. Politically, Sharif has nothing to lose (right) now. Retreat is not an option.”

The PML-N insiders said that the possibility of striking a “deal with the security establishment” was discussed during meetings between the two Sharifs at Adiala Jail.

Reports suggested that Sharif made it amply clear that he was neither willing to mend his ways nor was he ready to go abroad for any reason whatsoever.

Sharif has the support of his daughter Maryam, son-in-law Safdar and ‘likeminded’ leaders like Khawaja Asif, Ahsan Iqbal, Ayaz Sadiq and former PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi among others.

Panamagate Joint Investigation Team (JIT) head and the prosecution's star witness Wajid Zia will also appear for the hearing.

Judge Malik had summoned Nawaz and Zia during the last hearing on August 9.

During the last hearing, Judge Malik had questioned National Accountability Bureau's (NAB) Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi regarding the progress in investigations into the two remaining corruption references.

The NAB prosecutor had told the accountability court judge, "After Wajid Zia, only one more witness's statements need to be recorded."

"There are three suspects in both the references. Investigation is ongoing against Nawaz while his sons, Hasan and Hussain, have already been declared absconders in the case," he further said.

The hearing was then adjourned till today.

On August 7, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) transferred the two references to Accountability Court II.

A two-member bench of the IHC, comprising Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, ordered the transfer of the cases on Nawaz's plea.

Nawaz’s legal counsel had filed an appeal requesting the court to transfer the Al-Azizia and Flagship Investment references from the court of Accountability Judge-I Mohammad Bashir to another accountability court.

On July 6, accountability court Judge Mohammad Bashir had announced the verdict in the Avenfield properties corruption reference filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), handing the ousted prime minister 10 years as jail time and seven years to his daughter Maryam Nawaz.

The trial

The trial against the Sharif family commenced on September 14, 2017.

On July 6, after four extensions in the original six-month deadline to conclude all three cases, the court announced its verdict in the Avenfield reference.

Nawaz and his sons, Hussain and Hasan, are accused in all three references whereas Maryam and Safdar were accused in the Avenfield reference only.

The two brothers, based abroad, have been absconding since the proceedings began last year and were declared proclaimed offenders by the court.

On July 10, the Supreme Court granted another six-week extension for Accountability Court-I Judge Mohammad Bashir to conclude the remaining corruption references against Nawaz and former finance minister Ishaq Dar.

LAHORE .: The Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Muhammad Yawar Ali has constituted another full bench to decide a petition challenging the July 6 conviction of former premier Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam and son-in-law Captain (retd) Safdar under the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO) 1999.

The bench will be headed by Justice Shahid Waheed and comprise Justice Atir Mahmood and Justice Shahid Jamil Khan to hear a petition moved by the Lawyers Foundation for Justice through A K Dogar.

This is a reconstituted bench as on August 8, the LHC judge Shams Mehmood Mirza recused himself from an earlier notified three-judge bench owing to ‘some personal reasons’ and sent the same petition back to the LHC chief justice to fix it before any other appropriate bench. Justice Sajid Mehmood Sethi and Justice Mujahid Mustaqeem Ahmed were the other members of the earlier bench.

In the petition, Dogar questioned the NAB Ordinance 1999 and functioning of the courts under it.

He said NAB court which convicted the Sharifs had no jurisdiction to decide the matter as the law under which it had been functioning had lapsed long ago. He requested the court to suspend operation of the accountability court’s decision as the court had been functioning under a non-extant law.

He said former military dictator General Pervez Musharraf promulgated the NAB ordinance to arrest politicians. Musharraf took the charge in Oct 1999 while the NAB law came into being in Nov 1999, just one month later.

He said the NAB Ordinance 1999 contends that the ordinance was promulgated by a military dictator under Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) No 1 and order No 9 of 1999. He argued that under Article 270-AA of the Constitution through the 18th amendment, the PCO No1 of 1999 was declared without lawful authority and of no legal effect.

Order No 9, he said, was promulgated only to amend the PCO No 1 of 1999 with the insertion of section 5A (1) in it to the effect that limitation of 120 days prescribed under Article 89 of the Constitution to any ordinance by the president will not be applicable to the laws made under PCO No 1 of 1999.

The lawyer contended that as the PCO No 1 was declared without lawful authority and of no legal effect, the amendments in it made under order No 9 of 1999 would also lapse and therefore, the limitation period of 120 days prescribed under Article 89 would be applicable to the NAB ordinance.

He said certain laws which were still enforced, shall continue to remain enforced unless amended by the competent legislation under sub-article 2 of Article 270-AA of the Constitution.

Claiming that the NAB ordinance has ceased to be the law and become non-existent and a dead letter, he requested the court to set aside all those proceedings being carried out by the NAB courts under the ordinance.

Safdar was shifted to the prison after his health improved, according to Express News. On August 9, he was taken to Pims after his health deteriorated following a liver surgery.

Last week, a medical board of Pims doctors said Safdar had to remain in hospital due to health concerns. They performed an ECG to determine the condition of his cardiac stent and also conducted a liver test. Safdar is said to be suffering from diabetes and a liver ailment.

He was sentenced to one year in prison by an accountability court on July 6 in connection with the Avenfield apartments reference.

On Juky 8, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) moved to take Safdar into custody and announced initiating legal proceedings against all individuals who sheltered and helped him evade his arrest.

Before his arrest, Safdar staged a rally in Rawalpindi and lashed out at the state institutions and asked supporters to stand up against “injustice”. The rally was attended by hundreds of local PML-N supporters and workers and leaders.